This book describes the historical perspectives related to the education of Black children through their heritage, their family and community, and institutions of learning. The complex interactions between Blacks and Whites and the roles of philosophers, theorists, and educational practitioners in this historical development are discussed. The history of black education in the United States is traced from the early practitioners through the age of slavery, the period following slavery, and the advent of programs for the educationally disadvantaged such as Head Start. The intention and direction of such programs need to be reexamined to eliminate the disparity between the benefits such programs provide and the resources that have been appropriated to carry them out. The reluctance to fund such programs adequately stems from a number of reasons, including the belief that African American children are of limited intelligence. Combating faulty perspectives is essential in providing learning environments for African American children that respond to their senses of self and history. References follow each chapter, and a selected bibliography of 291 sources is included. (SLD)